At least four people are dead and more than a dozen were wounded following an attack on Turkey’s state-owned defence and aerospace manufacturer.
The incident occurred on 23 October at a Turkish Aerospace (TAI) facility in the capital Ankara and has been described as a terrorist attack by senior officials, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and interior minister Ali Yerlikaya.
The Turkish Defence Agency says an explosion occurred at TAI’s campus in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, followed shortly after by gunshots.
“It is alleged that a suicide bomb attack was carried out at TAI’s facilities,” the defence ministry says.
The agency subsequently said that two terrorists were “neutralised” by responding security forces. At least three victims were killed, according to Yerlikaya, with 14 more people injured. A fourth fatality was later confirmed by the Turkish government.
The identity and motive of the attackers has not yet been revealed.
TAI is one of Turkey’s most prominent defence manufacturers, with a portfolio that includes the country’s indigenous fifth-generation-style Kaan fighter jet, the Anka family of uncrewed combat air vehicles, the Hurjet trainer and the T929 attack helicopter.
The attack on a major Turkish arms manufacturer comes as the country’s largest defence and aerospace trade show – the Saha Expo – is underway in Istanbul.
That event runs until 26 October.
